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Abbreviation | WBT |
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Website | www |
The World Bowls Tour is an organisation which promotes indoor bowls and organises competitions (primarily in the United Kingdom), including the World Indoor Bowls Championships [1]
In 1990 the sport was under a period of fragmentation following the loss of the television coverage connected with the World Indoor Bowls Championships. John Hall the President of the English Bowls Association unsuccessfully called for closer co-operation between the indoor and outdoor game. [2] In 1992, a player led organisation formed the Professional Bowls Association, during the 1992 World Indoor Bowls Championship, which were held in the Preston Guildhall to promote indoor Bowls worldwide and on television.
On 1 January 1997, under the then chairman Richard Corsie, the PBA created the World Bowls Tour and after the 1997 championship replaced the World Indoor Bowls Council as the leading indoor organisation. [3] The purpose of the World Bowls Tour was to set up and create championships and competitions to further the aims of the PBA. [4]
Position | Name |
---|---|
Chairperson | David Bolt |
Tournament Director | Tom Weir |
Assistant Tournament Director & Finance Director | Martin Gale |
Corporate Director | Jason Parkinson |
Current and former indoor bowls competitions organised by the World Bowls Tour. [5]
Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Score | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
1983 | ![]() | ![]() | 7–4 7–3 7–1 | [6] |
1984 | ![]() | ![]() | 5–4 (sets) | |
1985 | ![]() | ![]() | 5–7 4–7 7–0 7–3 7–3 7–6 7–4 | |
1986 | ![]() | ![]() | 7–3 7–2 7–0 7–1 2–7 3–7 4–7 4–7 7–0 | [7] |
1987 | ![]() | ![]() | 7–6 1–7 2–7 7–3 7–0 4–7 7–4 5–7 7–5 | [8] |
1988 | ![]() | ![]() | 6–7 7–5 7–5 7–6 7–6 3–7 6–7 7–0 | [9] |
1989 | ![]() | ![]() | 1–5 5–7 7–6 7–5 7–3 | [10] |
1991 | ![]() | ![]() | 6–7 4–7 7–5 7–2 7–1 | [11] |
1992 | ![]() | ![]() | 7–3 3–7 7–5 7–5 | [12] |
1994 | ![]() | ![]() | 4–7 7–5 7–3 7–0 | [13] |
1995 | ![]() | ![]() | 2–7 7–3 7–4 7–1 | [14] |
1997 | ![]() | ![]() | 7–5 7–0 6–7 7–4 | [15] |
1998 | ![]() | ![]() | 7–0 0–7 7–6 3–7 7–2 | [16] |
1999 | ![]() | ![]() | 5–7 6–7 7–5 7–3 7–2 | [17] |
2000 | ![]() | ![]() | 7–2 7–2 0–7 5–7 7–3 | [18] |
2001 | ![]() | ![]() | 7–4 6–8 2–1 | [19] |
2002 | ![]() | ![]() | 9–7 6–7 2–1 | [20] |
2003 | ![]() | ![]() | 9–10 13–4 2–1 | [21] |
2004 | ![]() | ![]() | 10–4 4–8 2–0 | [22] |
2005 | ![]() | ![]() | 8–12 10–5 2–0 | [23] |
2006 | ![]() | ![]() | 12–7 10–8 | [24] |
2007 | ![]() | ![]() | 15–5 5–6 2–1 | [25] |
2008 | ![]() | ![]() | 13–4 10–9 | [26] |
2009–2012 not held | ||||
2013 | ![]() | ![]() | 10–2 10–1 | [27] |
2014 | ![]() | ![]() | 9–8 15–3 | [28] |
2015 | ![]() | ![]() | 12–4 9–8 | [29] |
2016 | ![]() | ![]() | 11–9 10–6 | [30] |
2017 | ![]() | ![]() | 9–4 8–6 | [31] |
2018 | ![]() | ![]() | 11–9 5–9 2–1 | [32] |
not held since 2018 |
Sponsors and previous names
Year | Winner | Runner-Up | |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | ![]() | ![]() | |
2003 | ![]() | ![]() | |
2004 | ![]() | ![]() | |
2005 | ![]() | ![]() | |
2006 | ![]() | ![]() | |
2007 | ![]() | ![]() | |
2008 | ![]() | ![]() | |
2009 | ![]() | ![]() | |
2010 | ![]() | ![]() | |
2011 | ![]() | ![]() | |
2012 | ![]() | ![]() | |
not held since 2013 |
Sponsors and previous names
Year | Winner | Runner-Up | |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | ![]() | ![]() | |
2008 | ![]() | ![]() | |
2009 | ![]() | ![]() | |
2010 | ![]() | ![]() | |
not held since 2010 |
Bowler | World Indoor Bowls Championships | The International Open | Scottish International Open | Welsh International Open | World Match Play | Total wins |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | - | 11 |
![]() ![]() | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | - | 9 |
![]() | 1 | 3 | 3 | - | 1 | 8 |
![]() | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | 1 | 8 |
![]() | 6 | 1 | - | - | - | 7 |
![]() | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 6 |
![]() | 3 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 5 |
![]() | 1 | 4 | - | - | - | 5 |
![]() | 2 | - | 3 | - | - | 5 |
![]() | 3 | - | 1 | - | - | 4 |
![]() | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | 4 |
Desmond Lai, at age of 15 (January 2024) from Hong Kong China, in World Bowls Indoor Championships 2024 [33]
The 2006–07 World Bowls Tour is a multi competition tournament over a season in bowls. The season started on 29 October 2006 and lasted until 9 February 2007. The World Bowls Tour is organised by the Professional Bowls Association, the World Bowls Ltd and the World Indoor Bowls Council. It is made up of four ranking event tournaments, The tournaments are:
The World Bowls Tour (WBT) is a limited company formed in September 1996 by the Professional Bowls Association, and the two major governing bodies for world flat green bowls, World Bowls and the World Indoor Bowls Council (WIBC).
Richard Corsie MBE is a Scottish international outdoor and indoor bowls player, he is considered to be among the best bowls players of all time.
These are the premier International Bowls Events between national bowls organisations affiliated to World Bowls, the PBA, World Bowls Tour and the IIBC.
Paul James Foster is a multiple world bowls champion who lives in Troon, Scotland. He plays at Troon Portland (Outdoor) & Ambassador Prestwick (Indoor) bowling clubs.
Alex "Tattie" Marshall is record-breaking Scottish bowls player.
The 2002 Potters Holidays World Indoor Bowls Championship was held at Potters Leisure Resort, Hopton on Sea, Great Yarmouth, England, from 08-26 January 2002.
In the singles Tony Allcock completed a shock victory. Unseeded and unfancied the Englishman’s win equalled the record of three title wins by David Bryant and Richard Corsie.
In the pairs Hugh Duff & Paul Foster defeated Greg Harlow & Graham Robertson in the final.
The 2001 Potters Holidays World World Indoor Bowls Championship was held at Potters Leisure Resort, Hopton on Sea, Great Yarmouth, England, from 8–21 January 2001, with the pairs following on from the 23–27 January 2001.
The 1999 Potters Holidays World World Indoor Bowls Championship was held at Potters Leisure Resort, Hopton on Sea, Great Yarmouth, England, from 16 to 25 January 1999.
In the singles the unseeded Alex Marshall won his first title beating David Gourlay in the final.
In the pairs John Price & Stephen Rees beat defending champions Richard Corsie & Graham Robertson in the final.
The 1998 SAGA World World Indoor Bowls Championship was held at Preston Guild Hall, Preston, England, from 13–23 January 1998.
In the Singles the unseeded Paul Foster, a 100-1 outsider won his first title beating Mervyn King in the final.
In the Pairs Richard Corsie and Graham Robertson won defeating Andy Thomson and Gary Smith in the final.
John Haydn Price is a former Welsh international lawn and indoor bowler and current bowls commentator.
David Gourlay is a Scottish international lawn & indoor bowler from the Prestwick Bowling Club and Crookston Bowling Club. He is also a Commonwealth Games medal winning coach.
Norma Shaw (1937-2009), born near Wakefield, was an English international indoor and lawn bowler.
Sarah Gourlay is a Scottish international lawn and indoor bowler born on 28 September 1937.
Graham Robertson is a former Scottish international indoor and lawn bowler. He is the second most capped Scottish international of all time. He was inducted into the Scottish Indoor Bowling Hall of Fame in 2016 and is a former national coach.
The 2017 Just World Indoor Bowls Championship was held at Potters Leisure Resort, Hopton on Sea, Great Yarmouth, England, on 13–29 January 2017.
Frances Whyte is a former Scottish international lawn and indoor bowler.
Edna Ida May Bessell, born 1946, is a former international lawn bowler from England.
The 2021 Just World Indoor Bowls Championship took place at Potters Leisure Resort, Hopton-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth, England, from 8–24 January 2021. The event was organised by the World Bowls Tour, televised by the BBC and streamed live on YouTube. The event was played behind closed doors and there was no under-25 competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a consequence of the pandemic there were no overseas players involved.
The Scottish International Open is an international indoor bowls competition held annually at in Scotland. It is the second most important event held by the organisation known as the World Bowls Tour and ranks only behind their primary event, the World Indoor Bowls Championships.